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Expectant Moms Revitalizing With Water

Plenty of H20 Is Good for Your Pregnancy

By Kim Seidel

The amount of water needed for a healthy pregnancy varies from woman to woman, O'Flaherty says. "Some women who are more active need 2 liters a day, while the next woman might need eight to 10 [8-ounce] glasses a day," she says. "A good guide is the appearance of the woman's urine. It should be pale yellow to clear throughout the day."

As a rule, Bennett says women should drink one quart of water for every 50 pounds of weight. "What may have been enough water before she was pregnant may not be adequate now," Bennett says. "She should never wait until she is thirsty. Feeling thirsty means she is already getting dehydrated. If a pregnant woman is perspiring from exercise or just from carrying the added weight, she should drink extra water to make up for the loss."

Experts say there's no beverage that substitutes for water. Women who drink caffeine during their pregnancy – a small amount is usually OK with a health care provider's approval – need to counter caffeine's diuretic effects with two to three extra glasses of water, O'Flaherty says.

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• Talk about it!